Indicating and regulating apparatus



y 21, 1929- v F. s. KOCHEND-ORFER 1,713, 33

INDICATING AND REGULATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet lfizz/9W ffeczrzb5%cfim@r er May 21, 1929. F. s. KOCHENDORFER INDICATINGAND REGULATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1924 2 SheetsSheet 2 PatentedMay 21, 1929.

UNITE. s'rarss arses FREDERIC SHIELDS KOCHENDGRFER, OF RIVER XLLIHOIS,ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF H'EW YURK, N. Y.,A CORPO- RATION OF NEW YORK.

INDICATING AND REGULATING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 29, 1924. Seria'I No. 758,746.

This invention relates to indicating and regulating apparatus, andparticularly to apparatus for regulating the amount of air supplied to acupola or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide improved indicating andregulating apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to regulatethe quantity of airsupplied to the tuyeres of a cupola so that uniform operating conditionsand a uniform product will be obtained.

In one embodiment of the invention air is supplied to the tuyeres of acupola by a centrifugal fan through a conduit in which are positionedtwo P-itot nozzles connected to a. U-shaped tube containing mercury, thePitot nozzles being adapted to create differential pressures which bringthe mercury into electrical contact with one or the other of twoadjustable electrodes to close a cir-' cuit including a motor adapted tooperate a valve controlling the flow ofair through the conduit. If theair is supplied to the cupola from a pump, the valve is located in aby-pass associated with the conduit.

Other objects and features of the inven tion will become apparent as thefollowing detailed description progresses, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of one formof the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of another form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section of 1 part of the apparatusshown in Figs. 1

and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the construction ofcooperating electrodes which form part of the apparatus shown in'Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a similar section illustrating another form of the cooperatingelectrodes.

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 is a cupola of any suitable type having tuyeres11 opening into the cupola and into an annular chamber 12 which isconnected by a conduit 15 to a centrii'ugal fan 17 driven by anysuitable means (not shown), the flow of air through the conduit 15'being controlled by a valve 19. Projecting into the conduit 15 are Pitotnozzles or tubes 20and 21 which are connected to legs 24 and 25,respectively, of a U-shaped glass tube 26 mounted in brackets 28 upon apanel 29 (Fig. 3), the legs 24and being provided With lateral tubularextensions 30 and 31 which are connected to the Pitot tubes 20 and 21 bymeans comprising brackets 33 adapted to receive the ends of the Pitottubes 20 andQl and the extensions 30 and 31 and to h old them inalignn'ient,

with each other. Disposed in each bracket 33 is a resilient gasket 35which is-compressed by means of plugs-'37 threaded into the bracket.-Projecting intoa tubul-arrex-v tension 38 formed upon the lower portionof the U-shaped tube 26 is an electrode 4O which'is sealed in the.extension b'y-a resilient stepper 41 and contacts with mercury 43disposed in the tube-2 6. Projecting: into the legs '24 and 25amelectrodes 44'and 45, respectively, which are sealed in the legs byresilientstoppers 46,"and by a heavy oil such as castor oil disposed inthe upper ends of the legs. as at 48. Eachof the electrodes 44 and 45 issecured in a threaded sleeve slidably mounted in brackets-52'and :53carried by the panel 29, the sleeve beingsplined to the bracket 53 by akey 54. Mounted upon each sleeve 50 and interposed between theassocijated brackets 52 and 53 is a knurled nut 55 Whichmaybe revolvedadjust the associated electrode with respect to the mercury 43.

Secured to the lower ends of the electrodes 44 and 45 are spiral springs57 and 58, respectively, which have-their other ends secured to floats59 and 60, respectively, carrying metallic pins 62 and 63, respectively,adapt-ed to contact with the mercury 43. The springs 57 and 58 insurethat the pins 62 and 63 will not freeze to the electrodes 44 and 45,respectively. The pins 62 and 63 project'through the floats 59 and 60,respectively, and may be brought into contact with the electrodes 44 and45, respectively, the floats being formed of any suitable materialhaving a specific gravity less than that of the mercury. Adjustablymounted upon the panel 29 by screws is a scale 67 which is of assistancewhen the electrodes 44 and 45 are adjust-ed relative to each other andto the mercury 43.

The electrodes 44 and 45 are connected to terminals of the windings ofrelays 68 and 69, respectively, the other terminals of the windingsbeing connected to one terminal of a battery 70 which has its otherterminal connected to the electrode 40. The relays 68 and 69 comprisearmatures 72 and 73, respectively, and contacts 74 and 75, respectively,the armatures 72 and 73 being connected to terminals of batteries 78 and79,

respectively, which have their other terminals connected to a commonterminal 80 of a motor82. The contacts 74 and are connected to terminals84 and 85, respectively, of the motor 82. A pinion 87 secured to theshaft of the motor 82 meshes with a rack 89 adapted to operate the valve19.

Referring to Fig. 2, 110 is a cupola having tuyeres 111 opening into thecupola and into an annular chamber 112 which is connected by a conduit115 to a rotary pump 117 driven by any suitable means (not shown). Therotary pump 117 comprises two oppositely revolving cycloidal impellers101 working in a case 102 and adapted to force a substantially uniformvolume of air per unit of time into the conduit 115 for any given numberof revolutions per minute of the impellers 101. The conduit 115 isprovided with a lateral by-pass 104 which is controlled by a valve 119.

Projecting into the conduit 115 are Pitotnozzles or tubes 120 and 121which communicate with a U-shaped tube 126. The Pitot tubes 120 and 121and the U-shaped tube 126 are substantially identical with the Pitottubes 20 and 21 and the U-shaped tube 26, respectively. Associated withthe U-shaped tube 126 and the valve 119 is ap paratus substantiallyidentical with the above described apparatus associated with the tube 26and the valve 19, the apparatus associated with the tube 126 and thevalve 119 being identified by reference characters rang- 'suffic'i'entheight in this log of the tube 226. the float 259 will be brought into aposition wherein the pin 262 will contact with both the electrode 244and the mercury 243.

In the operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 the cupola 10 is firstcharged in the usual manner and the fan 17 is operated to supply air tothe tuyeres 11, the electrodes 44 and 45 having been previously adjustedin such manner that when a predetermined quantity of air per unit oftime is delivered to the tuyeres 11, the mercury 43 will be at suchlevels in the legs 24 and 25 that neither of the pins 62 and 63 willengage the electrodes 44 and 45. The differential pressures produced inthe tube 26 by thePitot tubes 20 and 21 will hold the mercury at theselevels until the fan 17 either fails to supply a sufficient quantity of:air or $11 plies an excessive quantity oi air. In the event that the fan17 fails to supply a sutli-' cient quantity of air, the differential.pressures in the tube 26 will cause the mercury 43 to rise in the leg 25to bring the pin 63 into engagement with the electrode 45. Electricalcurrent will then flow in a circuit which may be traced as follows: fromone terminal of the battery 70, through the electrode. 40, the mercury43, the pin 63,.the elect-rode 45 and through the winding of the relay69 .to the battery 70. The relay 69 then operates and attracts itsarmature 73, which engages the contact 75, causing current to flowthrough.

a. circuit which may be tracedashfollows:

from the battery 79, through the; armature 7 3, the contact 75, andthrough the motor 82 to the battery 79. The motor'82 operates in onedirection in response to this current to open the valve 19 so that thefan 17 will deliver a greater quantity of air to the tuyeres 11. Whenthe valve 19 has been opened a sufiicient distance to permit the fan 17to deliver the predetermined quantity of air per unit of time to thetuyeres 11, the mer cury 43 will fall in the leg 25 so that the pin 63will be disengaged from the electrode 45. The winding of the relay 69then becomes deenergized and permits the armature 73 to leave thecontact 75, thus opening the circuit connecting the motor 82 with thebattery 79. ,The valve 19 then remains in itsadjusted position until thefan 17 again fails to deliver the required amount of air per unit timeto the tuyeres 11 or delivers an excess amount of air to them. If thefan delivers an excessive amount of air, the mercury 43 rises in: theleg 24 and causes the pin 62 to engage the electrode 44 whereuponcurrent flows through a circuit which may be traced as follows: from thebattery 70,.

through the electrode 40, the mercury 43, the pin 62, the electrode 44,and through the winding of the relay 68 to'the battery 70.

The relay 68 then operates and attracts its armature 72 which engagesthe contact 74 and causes a current flow which may be traced as follows:from the battery 78, through the armature 72, the contact 74, andthrough the motor 82 in a reverse direction to the battery 78. The motor82 then operates in a reverse direction to close the valve 19 andcontinues to close the valve un i amount of air delivered by the tan iiis decreased suflieiently to cause the mercury E3 to fall in the leg 2t. The motor 82 then comes to a full stop and the valve 19 remains inits adjusted position until the motor 82 is again operated to regulatethe amount of air being delivered to the tuyeres 11.

The operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is similar to theoperation of the ap paratus shown in Fig. 1, but as positive means areprovided for forcing air into the conduit 115 the amount of airdelivered to the tuyeres 111 is regulated by opening or closing thevalve 119 in the by-pass 104. It is obvious that the differentialpressures introduced in the tube 126 will operate the above describedelectrical apparatus associated with the tube to drive the motor 82 in aproper direction to open or close the valve when the amount of airdelivered to the tuyeres 11.1 rises above or falls below thepredetermined amount, respectively.

The apparatus described above is particularly advantageous in that airsupplied to the tuyeres at a substantially uniform rate throughout eachentire heat. When the air is supplied to the tuyercs at a substantiallyuniform rate, a uniform amount of tempera ture maintains in the cupolathrough the entire heat and the temperture of the iron withdrawntherefrom will not vary an undesirable amount.

The construction of the means eing'iloyed to change the electricalcontact between the mercury 43 and the electrodes 44 and 45 particularlyadvantageous as the pins 62 and (33 will be disen tron: trodes -11 andrespectiv ly. while the pins remain in contact with the mercury. Thisprevents arcs from forming between the pins and the mercury andtherefore prevents oxidation of the mercury.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for controlling the amount of air passing through aconduit. an electrode, a body of mercury, a second electrode submergedin the mercury, a float carried by the mercury, a conductor embedded inthe float and arranged to have its lower end in contact with the mercuryand the other end positioned to contact with the first-mentionedelectrode when the mercury rises to a predetermined level, and a circuitestablished by the completion of the circuit between the electrodes andincluding means responsive to the establishment of the the c ue---circuit for controlling the amount of air passing through the conduit.

2. In an apparatus for controlling the amount of air passing through aconduit, an electrode, an electrical conductor, yielding means forholding the conductor spaced from the electrode. a liquid medium incontact with the conductor and with a second electrode and adapted tobring the conductor into contact with the first electrode, and a circuitestablished by the completion of the circuit between the electrodes andincluding means responsive to the establishment of the circuit tocontrol the amount of air passing through the conduit.

3. In an apparatus for controlling the amount of air passing through aconduit, a valve for regulating the amount of air delivered by theconduit, an electrode, a column of mercury in contact with a secondelectrode, a conductor, yielding means for holding the conductor spacedfrom the first electrode, means for varying the height of the column ofmercury to bring the conductor into contact with said first electrode,and a circuit closed thereby and including means for controlling thevalve.

4. The combination with a conduit for conveying a fluid, of tubesprojecting into the conduit, one directed upstream and one downstream,means for exerting a pressure on a liquid responsive to diflerentialpressures on the tubes, floating means cooperating with the liquid, aplurality of control circuits associated with the liquid and floatingmeans and selectively controlled thereby, means operatively associatedwith the conduit for regulating the amount of fluid delivered by theconduit, operating means therefor, and a plurality of electricaloperating circuits for the operating means connected with andselectively controlled by the first mentioned circuits.

5. The combination with a conduit for conveying a fluid, of tubesprojecting into the conduit, one directed upstream and one downstream, avalve associated with the conduit for regulating the amount of fluiddelivered by the conduit, motive means operable in a plurality ofdirections for opening and closing the valve, a plurality of electricalcircuits for causing the operation of the motive means in the pluralityof directions, liquid means responsive to the dift'erential pressure onthe tubes, and floating means actuated by the liquid means to sole"-tively render the electrical circuits effective.

6. The combination with a conduit for conveying a fluid, ot tubesconnected with the conduit, a *alve associated with the con duit forregulating the amount of fluid dclivered by the conduit. motive meansoperable in a plurality of directions for opening and closing the valve,a plurality of electricall circuits for causing the operation of themotive means, a U-shaped tube containing liquid responsive to thedifference of pressure on the above mentioned tubes, an electrode in thebottom of the U-shaped tube a float in each side of the U-shaped tube, aconductor in each float, and electrodes projecting down into each sideof the U-shaped tube for contacting with the conductors to complete theaforementioned electrical cir- 10 cuits.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this, 17th day ofDecember, A. D. 1924.

FREDERIC SHIELDS KOCHENDORFER.

